Virginia Bus Crash Kills Five, Sparks Federal Crackdown on CDL English Requirements

Executive Briefing

• Driver Jing Dong faces involuntary manslaughter charges after his motor coach failed to slow in an I-95 work zone, killing five people.
• Victims include a family of four from Massachusetts, immigrants from Moldova, traveling to a wedding in South Carolina.
• Transportation Secretary Duffy confirms Dong could not speak English, calling his 2024 New York CDL issuance 'unacceptable.'
• Federal regulators penalized New York $73 million last month for illegally issuing non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses.
• DOT enacted an English-only CDL testing rule in February; lawmakers have introduced at least six related legislative proposals.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator warns companies to remove unqualified drivers or 'get out of the business.'